Women's Soccer Class of 2014- Tries to Contribute to a Title

The 2010 Fairfield Women's Soccer team has a long road in front of them. They hope to contend for another MAAC title in the upcoming season. Another year, another eager and dedicated freshman entering the rich program of Fairfield. Coach Jim O' Brien, who has been at the helm of the Stags for the last 5 years is excited about this new incoming class and has high expectations. "This group of incoming freshmen, combined with our returning players, makes our 2010 roster the deepest of my Fairfield tenure. I am anxious to get the squad into camp this August and get the season under way.” The five new recruits range from New York to Minnesota and already have their individual share of personal achievements.

Kasey Cox (West Chester, PA) is a late arrival for the class of 2014. Her signing was announced on June 14th. Her role on this team is simple. To add depth to the Stags depth in goal that they used to have with graduating senior Bridget Nerich. Nerich tied a program record with 14 saves in the team's 2-1 overtime loss to Loyola on October 18th. Overall, the former team captain had a solid tenure with the Stags, posting a 2-1 record with 28 saves in her career. There's no doubt Cox has the ability to become a solid backup. She started on her varsity team from her Freshmen and served as team captain in her senior year. She was 1st Team all Catholic 2009 including a two-time All-State Selection, earning second team honors as a senior. Her team were finalists in DE state Cup, and she led the 15th seed Raiders to High School soccer State Finals 2009 making 33 saves, with three shutouts. She was also named to the First-Team All-Conference her final two seasons.

Sarah Frassetto (Trumbull, Conn.) is the second late signing for the Stags. The center midfielder attended St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, Conn., and helped guide the Cadets to a 74-9-6 record in her four varsity seasons. Over the course of her career she netted 34 goals to go along with 40 assists. Frassetto led the Cadets to the 2008 FCIAC Championship and a pair of Class M State titles. A 2009 All-New England selection, she was also named a First-Team All-Star by the Connecticut Post in 2008 and 2009, as well as being named All-State those years. She has also shown the intangibles that will be needed for a possible championship run. In her senior season she started blogging her senior season in soccer during their playoff run. After a tough loss to Greenwich she stressed her frustration and her determination to be motivated by a loss, " we did not take the loss lightly. It has given us even more determination to make our mark in the state tournament. We have a week to prepare for our first game, and we will be working hard to correct some of our weaknesses. It is our last chance to prove not to everyone else, but to ourselves that we are the team that we believe we are. We will not go down without a fight. It is our chance to be great."

Carly Beyar (South Hempstead, N.Y.) The defender from South Side High School, will compete for playing time in the back with the Stags. She was selected as an adidas NSCAA All-America and All-State Class A first Team last season. Beyar was a member of the ENYSSA Olympic Development Team U12-U16 and plays her club soccer for the Albertson Fury 91. The Fury director of Football, Paul Riley, raves of her knowledge of the game and her ability to lead. He remarked, "Carly is a tremendous athlete with a mature soccer sense. Understands the game really well and is a fantastic one-on-one defender," "She is born to lead and bred to play at the top level." This sentiment has also been recognized by Coach O'Brien, "Carly is a proven Division 1 college prospect," said O'Brien, "that has always been a winner at the high school and club level. Carly's experience at the youth and scholastic level will pay big dividends for our program." And a winner she has been. She was honored as All-American and All-Long Island in 2009, All-County in both 2008 and 2009, All-State first team in 2008, All-State second team in 2009 and All-Conference in 2007. But what's her best soccer memory? Well, it might be painful to some fans but it shows her dtermination and recovery time. Carly describes her best moment on a soccer field was when she re-injured her ACL-repaired knee during a playoff game, and after resting and recovering for 10 minutes, she came back and scored three goals. "My left foot had never been so powerful!"

Shannon Fay (Sayville, N.Y.) Fay is completing her scholastic career at St. John the Baptist High School, the alma mater of Stags head coach Jim O'Brien. A team captain, the 5-foot-8 forward, was named the most valuable player of the Long Island Catholic Championship Game and is a three-time All-League honoree. Fay showed her athleticism by also playing for St. John Baptist's state championship volleyball team in 2006 and 2007. Fay plays her club soccer for HBC Intense 92. Coach O'Brien knows that her intangibles will be important for the 2010 Stags,
"Shannon was the type of player we targeted as a priority for our 2010 recruiting," said O'Brien. "Her size, speed and athleticism will make her tough to handle in front of our opponents goal."

Jacquelyn Ley (Marine, Minn.) The farthest Stag from the class of 2014, and the only current player from Minnesota, Ley is a member of the national honor society at Hill-Murray School where earned the team's Work Horse Award. She plays her club soccer for Woodbury Inferno, helping her squad win four State Cup Titles. She also played for the Olympic Development Program from 2004-08. The center midfielder was quickly recruited by Fairfield, "Jac was on our radar screen in the early stages of the recruiting process;" said O'Brien. "Her versatility as a midfield and attacking player will be a big upgrade to the competitiveness and depth to our team." If you think that the Stags need a player who can overcome anything, well this is her. When she was only 7 years old, she shattered her elbow on a soccer field in Minneapolis. Her mother drove past several hospitals until she reached the one that she wanted. Her husband, an orthopedic surgeon, made sure Jacquelyn got the right surgeon. After a successful three-hour surgery to repair the broken bones, Jacquelyn, who was 9 at the time, received the pain medicine morphine through a pump and was hooked up to a heart monitor, breathing monitor, and blood oxygen monitor. Her recovery was going so well that doctors decided to turn off the morphine pump and to forgo regular checks of her vital signs." As any mother would, Carol Ley slept in her daughter's hospital room that night. When she woke up in the middle of the night and checked on her, Jacquelyn was barely breathing. "I called her name, but she wouldn't respond," she says. "I shook her and called for help." The morphine pump hadn't been shut down, but had accidentally been turned up high. The narcotic flooded Jacquelyn's body. She survived the overdose, but it was a close call. "If three more hours had gone by, I don't think Jacquelyn would have survived," Ley says. "Fortunately, I woke up." (http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2935921/Strategies-to-reduce-medication-errors.html) This medication error has led to many discussions with the board of health. This one incident led the hospital to use pumps that are easier to use and revamp nurse's training. This nearly fatal error has led her mom to chair the board of the National Patient Safety Foundation.

With all the talent and experience that the incoming class has, expectations will be high. This class might be inexperienced when it comes to college play, but their impressive high school performance and awards forced them to mature and prepare them for the demand of a Division I college soccer program. Can this soccer class help the program to win yet another MAAC title? Only one Stag was named to the all-rookie team the past year, (Rachel Madasci). The ability to get over the little bumps during the season will show which members of the Class of 2014 can survive and contribute to this soccer program.

Women's Soccer 2010 Preview

2009 was the year that the Fairfield Stags Women's Soccer Team looked to repeat as champions. It was just last year that the Stags stood on top of the MAAC Soccer world. Then senior captain Ahna Johnson led them to that plateau. They shutout the Greyhounds of Loyola and easily won the trophy. Although they were losing one of the best players ever to pass through the University last season, the Stags understandably had an enormous amount of confidence entering the 2009 season. They looked at the pre-season polls and found themselves finishing first nearly six points ahead of last year's runner up. Nicole Cavallaro, a player that the other coaches voted as pre-season Player of the Year, was supposed to lead them to victory at Disney World in Orlando, Flordia. It was going to be a perfect place to win back to back championships, but, unfortunately, the field at the Magic Kingdom saw the end to their expected magical season.

The Stags earned their first win of the season in San Francisco California during the USF Odwalla Nike Classic beating the University of San Jose State. That win propelled them on a winning streak after losing to San Francisco starting the year 1-3. Over the next two weeks, Fairfield would go undefeated (5-0) with major help from their goal keeper Kelly Boudreau who helped her team outscore the opposition 14-2 over that stretch. The squad stood over .500 and won their first MAAC game. But then they seemed to hit a bump in the road. Their following losing streak would last as long as the previous winning streak. They would go 0-4-1 and more importantly drop to 1-1-1 in the MAAC. On October 9th they traveled to Saint Peters College to take on the Peahens. With only six MAAC games left until the playoffs, Fairfield was looking for a kick in the right direction. They soon found it. A shut out at St. Petes would lead to an impressive finish of the year finishing 4-2-3 in conference (although it was their worst MAAC record since 2004). They earned a three seed in the MAAC Tournament and were set to oppose the sixth seeded Niagara Purple Eagles, a team that the Stags had allowed one goal to in 3 years.

The Stags were defeated 2-1 over the Purple Eagles who used that win as motivation and found themselves playing for the championship. The loss dropped Fairfield out of the MAAC Tournament and killed their dream of repeating.

But this is a different season filled with new dreams. The Stags lose five seniors from their '09 roster. Only one of whom was named to an All-MAAC team. All three of the Fairfield members who were named to First team all- MAAC will be entering their junior season. (Alyssa Decker, Spenser Allaway, and Jasmin Corniel) It is easy to tell how young this Stags team is. Coach O'Brien is excited for the upcoming campaign, "This group of incoming freshmen, combined with our returning players, makes our 2010 roster the deepest of my Fairfield tenure. I am anxious to get the squad into camp this August and get the season under way.”

This may be the same team in terms of players. Fairfield has only lost four solid seniors due to graduation. But the 2010 women's soccer team is trying to rebound in this upcoming campaign. They should be preseason ranked number one for the third straight year. Same team or not the Stags are looking for different results.

2010 Stags Try to Head in the Right Direction- Men's Soccer Preview

It was on their home field. In front of their fans. On the grass they have been playing on their entire career. It was their time to shine. But the 2009 Fairfield Stags soccer team fell to the Loyola Greyhounds in the semifinals of last years MAAC Championship. The 3-0 loss marked the end to a season built on finishing strong. After starting the season 1-4, the Stags went 7-1-2 in their next 10 games. For the preseason number 2 ranked team in the MAAC, not making the finals on their home field was a disappointment. Getting over the hump from last year and starting off the season strong could be the biggest weakness for this team. But the 2010 Stags have something to prove, and are trying to get the Fairfield men’s soccer program back to its prominence.

The Stags only lose one key player from last years 9-6-2 squad. Graduating is their former captain Christian Uy who was tied for the most assists on the team and tallied the third most points for the Stags. However injuries can also play a key factor for Fairfield. Jack Cleverly, the senior from Dorset, England, tore his ACL and will be out to at least October. Last year, Cleverly returned to capture a spot on the first team all MAAC squad. He appeared in all 18 games during the 2009 season, and was a key player in the Stags defensive efforts. He scored one goal during the season, netting the team's only goal in a 1-1 tie with Siena College. The Stags dealt with injuries last year which could have been a reason for their early exit. Their leading scorer, Jack Burridge had a set back which forced him to miss the entire MAAC Championship. Without this threat, the Stags were noticeably missing a big threat on the field scoring only 2 goals in their last 4 games.

So with the loss of the 2008 MAAC Tournament MVP who can the Stags rely on to get them back to another MAAC Title? This squad will be comprised of a extremely experienced groups of individuals. 10 seniors will be asked to become leaders on and off the field. But who should you watch out for in the up coming year? Three players should become the focal point on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
1) Erik Ilisije SR (Manapalan NJ). Illisije placed second on the team with 12 total points, all of which came off six goals. He enjoyed a hot dtreak midway through the season where he netted five goals over a three-game span against MAAC opponents. The forward started the run with a goal against Saint Peter's, and followed with a pair of goals against Manhattan and Rider. For the Stags to have any chance at the MAAC Crown, they must have the 2009 MAAC Second Team Representive become more consistent throughout the entire season.
2) Matthew Uy SR (New Hyde Park, NY). Matthew Uy was one of the team's top all-around players, registering six points. He was also one of the team's best defenders, giving the team support both offensive and defensively. Uy recorded one goal and four assists during the year.
3) Michael O'Keeffe SO (Christchurch NZ). O'Keeffe was named to the All-MAAC first team in his first year in the states. He recorded four shutouts and a 1.19 goals against average in 17 starts. He played 1514 minutes and posted 74 saves for a .787 save percentage. Hopefully a sophmore slump doesn't register for the goalie. However, a stronger defense will make his job much easier in the upcoming season.

However, this "is not a team of superstars" according to O'Keeffe. Their main focus is to play as a single unit. The now sophmore goal keeper states that the biggest strength of the squad is size. It allows the Stags to "be more threatening in set pieces and defending set pieces." Size will defintely be a factor for this group. The average height of the team will be 5'11 and their leading scorer towers in at 6'3 and weighes 190 pounds. Strength and size will lead to more offensive and defensive breaks.

The field for the MAAC Conference will be changing as well in the upcoming campaign. The defending champions, Loyola Greyhounds return 5 of their top 6 scorers but lose the offensive and defensive player of the year. While Iona, who spent the last part of 2009 ranked as high as 10th in the nation, will have to persevere without their two top scorers, who accounted for 50% of the total team goals, and arguably the best goalie in the conference in Nils Binstock. Both teams experience big losses to the make up of their team, but the depth that was created through recruiting should save the season for the Greyhounds and the Gaels.

The 2010 Stags enter the season on a mission. Not being able to defend their MAAC title was a disappointment for the players on the team. Some players start out with little goals to begin the year. O'Keeffe's goal is to "go out of conference without a loss" which will give this team the confidence to win some crucial games down the stretch. In order to take home the MAAC trophy, the Stags would have to go to Loyola which hosts the Championship tournament. Can you see it now? The Stags trying revenging the Greyhounds for defeating them on their home field just last year. With just a couple of months left before the season start, the Stags are ready to make this thought a reality.

Derek Needham- New Pressure to succeed.

We all know that Derek Needham had an unheard of freshmen season. The guard from Dalton, Illinois led an experienced Stags team in points, assists, steals, and minutes in his rookie season. It is a rare condition when a team, that went to the MAAC semifinals a year before, turns to the newest member of the team for guidance. But that is what led to the 2009-2010 Stags success. The upperclassmen looked up to the 5 foot 10 inch guard and watched him lead the team to the MAAC Championship.

For a team who in the previous year dealt with key injuries to most of their roster, this mostly healthy year turned to an historic year. Although they were left without 2 and later three of their key contributors, the Stags came together as a team led by Coach Cooley. There was not on star player on the team. Mixed with the Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and of course the Rookie of the Year, the Stags played an unselfish brand of basketball which can be contributed to the leadership of Cooley and Needham.

However, this will be a pressure filled year for the Stags and especially Derek Needham. With the loss of their three top seniors and their head coach, Siena is expected to fall in the MAAC in the upcoming season. For the first time in many a years, the Stags will be the strong pick for the preason number one in the MAAC. With their strong recruiting class, which features a heavily heralded forward, a finish that does not include a MAAC Championship will be considered a disappointment.

How will the team react to all these expectations? How about Needham? The sophmore who entered Fairfield without any expectations? Without Anthony Johnson and Mike Evanovich, Needham will be expected to be a bigger scoring threat for the Stags. Already featured in blogs including Sports Illustrated: "Top Players you probably haven't heard of but will," Needham is no longer the Stags secret. Teams are going to be focusing on the point guard until the other players can prove themselves. Will the Stags be able to live up to all these deserved expectations? Just wait to March where one team will punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

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